Sorry for the silence. I’ve been listening to the sounds of laughing children, babbling brooks, chirping birds, humming bees, and leaves rustling underfoot. We spent our pseudo-weekend hiking with friends and goofing off at home. My legs are tired and I have a big mess to clean up tomorrow later today in the apartment. [It is after midnight and I should be in bed!] I think we are going to dye eggs, cook, and paint today… and read a lot in our library books.
Currently we are reading:
“The Princess and the Goblin” by George MacDonald
“Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan
“The Magicians Nephew” by C.S. Lewis
“The 21 Balloons” by William Pene duBois
We use KONOS and are currently doing a unit study on Trust. I have to admit, though… although I have never done much research about ‘Unschooling‘; sometimes I think I am so eclectic that I border on it. It isn’t necessarily that I have a child-led homeschool. I don’t. I do encourage them to find interests they like, though. I just tend to get lost in the moment with them.
I can catch a lizard, wander in the woods, play in the mud, knead dough with my hands, paint and draw – and nothing else on the list gets checked off. I think that everyone needs to have a balance of fun outlet and serious study. I don’t know if that is an unschooling philosophy, a classical philosophy… or what? [I’d love to hear your thoughts on this if you are versed in homeschool philosophies, by the way… do comment!]
I am quite sure that tomorrow, our schedule will be tossed for a much more flexible and enjoyable day. Blame it on spring. Maybe it was the forest air on our nature walk?
Have a look at some of the sights we saw today in honor of spring. I’ll have another set of photos from our walk for you tomorrow. I can update you on today’s homeschool day then as well.
Enjoy your Friday. [Our Friday is our Monday this week.]
Buzz Words: forest, hiking, life, plants, family, trees, weekend, spring, fun, friends, park, travel, Arkansas, blogging, parenting, photo, photographs, pictures, homeschooling, homeschool, unschooling, learning, education, reading
I really NEED to do this. The ice just went off our lake last night, so i know grass adn sunn will come soon.
We really need it to. I envy your walk…
Your pictures are fab, and your children are beautiful!
I just read “Pilgrim’s Progress” myself. How is it going with the kids? Do they like it/get it? I would love to read this to my boys when they’re older…
Thanks for sharing,
Michelle
I’m not “well versed” in the homeschooling philosophies, but I’m currently reading Cathy Duffy’s “100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum” and it lists approaches for learning style and also choosing which philosophy you match up with most. It is very helpful as I prepare to homeschool my eldest son this fall!
PS~ i love your pics…AAAHHH, Spring!
The wildflowers in the “tiniest wildflowers” pic are called Spring Beauties. They are one of my favorites and are nice in pressed flower projects.
My absolute favorite “tiniest wildflowers” are the Quaker Ladies…those teeny,tiny blue flowers with four petals. They have such a wonderful smell. Some people call them Bluets but I like the name Quaker Ladies because I think it suits them so well.
Here is a picture: http://www.phil.unt.edu/~hargrove/images/bluets2.jpg
So beautiful. Nothing like getting outside after a long winter. Thank you for posting the pictures.
Pass the Torch – I don’t know what I would do if I was somewhere that there was ice in March. 🙁 I feel for you. Arkansas is about 10-15 degrees cooler than where I’m from in Texas on any given day (year round). While we get a lot more exposure to “seasons” here than we do in Texas, it is still not a place where we will have “extremes” of any sort. 😉 I don’t mind visiting snowy places, but I like driving fast too much to live there!
Thanks so much, Michelle. That is sweet of you to say. Of course, I am rather partial to the kids. I love taking photos. We actually haven’t started the John Bunyan book yet. We’re making our way through two of the others first.
Mary – I used to have that Cathy Duffy book, but half of my books and belongings are in storage right now, so I don’t have it here. I think Sally Clarkson goes over philosophies in her book ‘Educating the WholeHearted Child’, so I think I’ll skim that again tonight before bed. Thanks for reminding me about it. God bless you on your new journey into homeschooling.
Green Darner – What a fitting name for those tiny wildflowers! Spring beauties. 😉 Thanks for letting me know. I am surprised that they make good pressed flowers being so small and transparent almost at the tips. I like those tiny bluets also… thanks for the photo! I love seeing people’s pictures of wildflowers, butterflies, bees, and trees! Nature is amazing. You should check out the Thursday Challenge this week at Spun With Tears. It is about Spring. I entered this post in it.
Jenn4Him – You are most welcome! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment.
My son is reading 21 Balloons and has to do a project. Do you have any links with ideas ect for the book. Please email me at kharper@pinecreekmedicalcenter.com